Reliving Childhood
by Epiclesis
Summary: Once every six thousand years a comet crashes down on Aselia. Yet unlike previous times, a strange phenomenon occurs which leads the Eternal Heroes and the Two Seraphim into a whirlwind of chaos and adventure.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello everyone for those who don't know me, I'm Epiclesis and this here is my first Tales of symphonia fanfiction. XD The original of this is posted on the tales forums (a link in my profile) but i decided to try and post this again in proper format. So if you have or have not already started reading this then it's alright cause some things are going to be slightly changed/ added that won't be in the original script format. So, please read, review, and let me know of any grammer mistakes that i may have missed (as it will help improve my writing style)

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia or any of it's characters; it belongs strictly to Namco and Namco only

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Prologue: 

The halls of Derris-Kharlan served as a reminder of the emptiness which constantly consumed those in passing. The city of the angels, Wegalia, seemed to have become an even more barren landscape without the angelic beings. Endlessly floating in space with no destination seemed to be an eternal punishment for anyone who resided there. Yet the halls and the area appeared empty. Was there really anyone still remaining?

The sound of light footsteps echoed faintly in the halls of Wegalia. From around the corner, an auburn hair man emerged and, without looking up from some papers, continued his trek into the next area. Various belts hung onto his frame and over his angelic outfit that consisted of a white cape, pants, and a navy-blue turtleneck. From behind him trailed a swallowed tip cape. Though he seemed to be focused on what was in his hands, he managed to direct himself to his location. A second later the teleporter lit and, stepping down, Kratos Aurion began his long walk through Vinheim. The castle was once home to the high angels or Seraphim of Cruxis. Mithos had been determined to construct an area in Derris-Kharlan where they could live separately from the other angels. Vinheim once acted as the main headquarters and home of Cruxis but, like the other areas, it has now become nothing more then an empty location. Carefully reading the last page, Kratos closed the book and entered into the left door on the side of the main room. In a low light he unfolded his wings and, looking up, flew past the spiraling stairway to one of the doors higher up.

Typing in a quick code and muttering something in angelic, the door creaked and parted to allow the visitor inside. The light breeze from the retracting wings blew away some of the ancient dust and cobwebs. The machinery inside appeared untouched with the several bookcases on the side wall. With difficulty the lights managed to turn on and give some visual site. The worn book in his hand was opened again as Kratos walked further inside and skimmed the pages. The sound of re-starting machinery was heard a few moments after the lights flickered on. He proceeded over towards one of the empty bookcases and, while placing the book down on a table, began to search the bookshelves for another. Silence reigned as he stood researching and the magi technology served as his only sound.

Time played no role on Derris-Kharlan for one of the last angels of Cruxis. After managing to reunite the two separate worlds, Kratos Aurion left the planet with Derris Kharlan to assure nothing was to remain of Cruxis in the new world. Days, weeks, months, or years could have passed on Aselia but for an immortal angel time was nothing. Though he had received some reports from his blue-haired companion, Yuan, previously the calls have ceased and left him in the dark as to what new events have occurred. Kratos thought the reason was that Derris-Kharlan had reached out of orbit, but the strange readings from the planet gave him a perturbed feeling. For at the same time the calls ceased a report from the computer system showed a strange spirit energy which rained down on Aselia in both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla.

Placing his small concerns at ease, he spent a few more moments gathering some material from the old laboratory. Yet before he could leave, one of the monitors emitted a soft beep which caused the angel to turn and witness another door slowly opening. The seraph remained still as he stared at the now open door before him. Because the lab was used rarely for information gathering, Mithos had never fully ordered the place to be explored or thoroughly examined. While constructing Wegalia and Vinheim, the three Seraphim had stumbled across the small area and its information. Though Mithos had wanted the files burned, Kratos and Yuan had managed to persuade the smaller half-elf otherwise and thus, the room was spared from destruction. _'**To allow ourselves to lose such vital information would be a meaningless cause as the elves have vast knowledge of this comet as well as the area they once resided. Should something ever occur, it would be best to have an original source to turn towards.' **_

Those are the words Kratos spoke to his apprentice that day, and even now after 4,000 years he still doesn't regret them. _'Perhaps, however, we should have tried to persuade him to do some type of examination instead of forgetting about the room entirely.' _

Ensuring that his sword was within his grasp, Kratos walked forward towards the other room. Yet, as he reached the doorway, a strong purple light burst into his vision and engulfed his form. Eyes widening slightly, he released the books in hand and tried to make an effort to shield himself. An invisible barrier lightly formed around him as the light became more intense. After a few seconds the light faded and dimmed to nothing. The world spun around him for a moment as he found himself lying on the ground. With a groan, he shook his head and attempted to stand only to trip over some of the fabric from his clothes. _'Since when did my outfit cause this much difficulty? A moment ago it fitted fine unless—' _

With a small hesitance, he managed to stand and gathering up some courage braced himself for the worse as he glanced into the reflection from part of the glass wall. What he saw, almost caused the seraph to faint right there and then as he stared into the eyes of a small ten year old.

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_The pages of one book have been finished and sealed together; now being placed away on the shelf with the other completed novels. Yet as the writer walks back over to his desk another book is seen in the making and sitting back down, he picks up his pen and begins writing a new chapter for what is to become a sequel and a new adventure.__  
_

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From the mountains, the sun began to emerge and mark the start of a new dawning day. Remnants of the previous night fade into the dark blue along with the stars and two moons; light streaks of lavender colors are also faintly visible. Near Iselia, in an area outside the forest, a light beam emerged and from that appeared a small figure as he crashed and landed onto the forest floor. Cursing in angelic the figure picked himself up and, glancing quickly around his surroundings, unfolded his smaller wings and flew towards a small house outside the forest and Iselia. _'Origin please allow me to arrive before hand. If Yuan was correct in the pervious directions then Lloyd should be somewhere around this area with the others.' _

From the distance the wooden cottage came into view. Though the building and the surrounding area remained intact, the trail of smoke along with the hole in the roof caused the seraph to fly faster and land. Stumbling again from the un-even landing, Kratos picked himself up and slammed the door opened.

"Lloyd-?!"

From the center of the room through a faded layer of smoke rested a small purple rock no larger then a baseball. Though the damage seemed little, it wasn't what caused the seraph to freeze in complete shock. Scattered around the room, small cries could be in different directions. From piles of clothing forms of smaller children could be made out with a small green and white fish flailing on the floor. In complete horror, ten year old Kratos Aurion leaned against the doorway while slapping his forehead. _'Martel no, please tell me this is some type of dream.' _

One of the little kids began crawling over toward him in curiosity. Through the mess of red, he managed to crawl to the angel and stare up with chestnut eyes; tilting his head slightly. Both stared at one another ignoring the other sounds around them. In a few minutes, the small two year old removed his thumb and with a big smile reached up his hands to the ten year old; saying only one word which caused the other to pale.

"Daddy!"  
Miles away in the forest, some animals lift their heads upon hearing a frustrated scream echoing. A seraph of cruxis curses fate itself, and the start of an entire new journey has marked its beginning in the world of Aselia.

(end Prologue: start chapter one)

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So that concludes the prologue people. If you can tell I changed a bit of things here and there cause i feel that this will make more sense then what i did have up...but still, I hope you all regardless liked it and please let me know what you think! This is my first symphonia fan fic so i hope i did an okay job with the prologue (as beginnings and me don't usually work out) if you want to read more then you can see the other chapters on the forums and i will try to have chapter one re-done sometime soon! 


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Wow, I'm surprised at all the reviwes I got for just the prologue but thank you all so much!This makes me feel really happy to know that people enjoy this(seeing as I do want to be a writer; I figured best practice would be fan fictions..though that's only my strange thinking) I do apologize for any grammer mistakes in my chapters but actually for some reason grammer doesn't like working with me and the thing that messes/confuses me most is past and present tense and when to use them. (Sounds stupid and you're probably wondering why but to tell you the truth I think it's from the fact I was a delayed speaker...lack of talking equals okay vocabulary and bad grammer? I guess so... cause it's what I'm told) But anyway, I would appreicate if you guys do point out grammer mistakes as that is my weakness of writing and it will help me improve a lot XD..that and microsoft word doesn't pick it up sometimes along with my one friend who proof-reads it before I post, so the more help the better!

Also I noticed confusion in some of the reviews over the plot or situation... was I not clear enough in the Prologue? hmm..guess I'll have to re-read that again but for of you who are confused: yes the entire symphonia has been turned to little kids and Kratos is the current care taker. Basically, a comet rained down and as the summary says: it caused some nasty side effects to those who came in contact. As for why there was one on Derris Kharlan: that will be explained later on. And as for ages it will be as following: Lloyd and Colette: 2 years, Genis and Presea: under a year, Raine and Regal: 4 years, Sheena: 2 1/2, and Zelos: 3 1/2 years

so again thanks for reviewing thus far, and here's chapter one! **Disclaimer**: Tales of Symphonia does not belong to me.

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Chapter one: 

If there was ever a time Kratos Aurion was wishing to die of embarrassment, then it would probably be now. After discovering his current situation back on Derris-Kharlan, and borrowing some of Mithos' old clothes, the young angel went to the Cruxis core system and researched the strange energy readings. To his horror, Kratos found them to be exactly the same to the ones on Aselia. If Derris-Kharlan hadn't remained in Aselia's obit then transporting back down would have been impossible. _'Dammit…I specifically told that moron to inform me of anything that occurs while I was absent. Does he think something like this applies as nothing? Rushing back down to find your own son and his friends as toddlers?' _

Small noises and delightful shouts could be heard from behind him in the wagon being pulled. The eight young children and the fish protozoan each looked around at the passing forest with amazed eyes. Managing to retain some of his calmness after the surprise, Kratos immediately began searching the house for any specific items before taking the kids and heading for Iselia. The first was finding a pail of water for Noishe to breath, the second was grabbing Flameberge and Vorpal from their respected locations, and the third task was finding an item which could assist in transporting all eight of the small toddlers to Iselia. Pushing through the large material of clothes, Lloyd pointed to something in the distance which caused the others to laugh; each playing their own game to entertain themselves for the short ride. Kratos glanced back and through the stress managed a small smile at their childish antics. It was a dilemma after all but who said you couldn't enjoy it a little bit?

"Well, I suppose matters can't get worse for now." Kratos started to say.

The clear blue sky became covered by dark clouds. Where there was once a bright atmosphere, came a gloomy one. A small crack of thunder alerted Kratos and the others to stare up and in a few minutes, the Symphonia gang was met with a pouring rainfall.

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Most of the towns' people ran inside to dryer areas upon seeing the first signs of rain. Shop keepers began closing stores early while families shut their windows and locked their doors to prevent rain from leaking in. Inside Colette's house, Frank closed the last window as Phaidra finished preparing some tea. Yet before he could sit down, a knock on the door caused him to turn in slight confusion. The door opened at that moment and standing before the two was a soaking wet Symphonia gang.

"Is there anyway we can help you, children?" Frank asked.

Blowing some wet strands of hair away from his face, Kratos adjusted his hold on Lloyd and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Frank, I do not like to bother you like this but the current matter calls for some actions and—"

Looking more carefully at the younger one, Frank's eyes widened. "Kratos?!"

"Frank what are you doing holding them up? Let them inside already before they catch a cold!" Phaidra called out.

Stepping to the side, Frank allowed Kratos and the others to enter inside. Immediately Phaidra came back in with towels and assisted Kratos to helping the kids. With some light conversation, Frank and Phaidra nodded in understanding.

"I must say Kratos; your surprises never cease to amaze me. And here I thought they'd end with Colette no longer being the Chosen." Frank chuckled.

Kratos dried some of his hair and removed his dripping shirt. "I was hoping the same thing for Lloyd and the others but it seems fate has other plans in stored."

Phaidra helped the last child into a towel a picked up the young Genis and Presea. "If you two don't mind I'm going to help these young ones to a bath and some new clothes. I'm sure we have some stuff lying around here for them to use. If you would like, Kratos, we also have a spare set for you to change in as well. Angel or not I would rather not have you get sick."

Kratos nodded. "I would appreciate that, Phaidra, and thank you very much for your hospitality."

Phaidra smiled. "With all that you've done for Colette it's the least I can do to repay you." That being said, she gathered the younger ones up and started heading up the stairs with them following after her; Regal and Sheena pulling a reluctant Raine along.

"Comes on Raine! Wes goes gets cleans now!" Little Sheena moaned.

"NUH UH! NO WATERS! NO WATERS FOR ME!!" Raine cried out while struggling against the two.

As Kratos turned to follow Frank, a small tug on his clothes stopped him and he turned to be met with Lloyd.

"…Wheres you goings, Daddy?"

Kratos sighed and smiled lightly. "I'm going to change into a dryer pair of clothes and then have a conversation with Frank. You should go along with the others and get dry yourself. I'll be waiting down here for you."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Promies?"

"I promise, Lloyd,"

"Kay!" With a bright smile, Lloyd ran to catch up to the others. Impatient over the delay, he moaned and began assisting Raine up the stairs with Sheena, Colette, and Regal.

Shaking his head at the antics, Kratos turned and followed Frank further into the house, thunder replacing the rain outside. A couple of hours later Frank and Kratos returned into the kitchen. Dressed in a simple white turtle neck and a pair of black sweatpants, the young ten year old sat opposite of the other and began sipping a glass of water as he listened to what Frank was saying. Also on the table also was Noishe swimming around in a portable fish tank, showing signs of comfort as he watched the two men.

"So the comet fell down in a meteor shower about three days ago?" Kratos asked.

"Well I wouldn't exactly say it was a comet but what your description fits with what occurred. Two nights ago, shooting stars came raining down from the sky. Each of them left a light trail of purple dust and landed on several different parts of Sylvarant. It was indeed a lovely site to behold and I recall seeing one land somewhere near the Iselia Forest. I apologize for not being of much help with the matter." Frank replied.

Kratos shook his head. "No, the information is helpful and I do appreciate it. I'll probably have Yuan look further into the matter once he responds to my messages and arrives."

"Yuan…that name sounds familiar."

"He's a former Cruxis angel like myself and also leader of an organization called the Renegades which disguise themselves as Desians."

"The Renegades…Ah yes! You mean the group that was disbanded about a few weeks ago."

"Disbanded?"

"Not sure myself but it was some shocking news in Sylvarant. The group came out into the public a while back and it was rumored that a few weeks later the entire group was sent on leave by the leader."

"I see." Finishing the glass of water, Kratos glanced down and folded his hands under his head as he leaned forward with a thoughtful expression. _'This would probably explain then why he hasn't been replying to my calls. Though if what Frank says is true, then trying to contact him will become more difficult. If I'm lucky, perhaps he's still in Triet's base though the odds are against my favor.' _

The stairs creaked from added weight and both men glanced up to see Phaidra coming back down; Genis and Presea in her arms and sleeping.

"I apologize if I'm interrupting anything." Phaidra stated.

"It's fine, Kratos and I were just waiting for the little ones."

Kratos gave Phaidra a appreciative look. "I hope they weren't to much trouble."  
Phaidra chuckled and smiled. "Not at all. I managed to get them cleaned and changed into some nice clothes. Though if you won't take my word, then why don't you see for yourself."

In a stampede, the little ones came running down the stairs and crashing on top of one another at the bottom. Untangling themselves from the man-made pile, the six stood and dusted off their clothes quickly before presenting themselves in a stiff military like manner; an action which caused Frank and Phaidra to laugh. In near the middle of the line was Lloyd dressed in a matching brown outfit with a two layered light jacket connecting at the collar. Next to him, on the second right, was Zelos who wore a short sleeve white shirt and pants with a reddish sleeveless vest. Next to Zelos, on the end, was Regal with a plain light blue shirt with dark navy pants. Standing on Lloyd's left, was Sheena who wore a one-piece rose pink romper with a hastily tied lavender bathrobe over it. Next to her, was Raine wearing an orange turtleneck dress with a hood attached and a yellow sash tied around her waist. Colette, the last one on the end, wore a light summer dress with flower patterns scattered across. In Phaidra's arms was Genis, with a blue overall and white turtleneck, and Presea, with a one-piece footed pajamas and patches of ducks and sheep.

With a smile, Lloyd ran over to Kratos and climbs onto his lap.

"Looks' Daddy! I cleans now!"  
While the others followed, Raine moved further away into a corner and stared down at the bottle in her hands with a strange gleam present in her eyes. Glancing at Sheena and Raine, Kratos sent a questioning look to Phaidra who chuckled.

"Oh that, well the little one over there wanted the shampoo for research and refused to let it go--"

Clutching the bottle closer to her, little Raine moved closer to the corner and gave the others a look before Phaidra continued. "STUDY! mine!"

"—and the other little one wanted to keep the bathrobe over her dress."

Sheena looked up at Kratos in pride. "Me ninja!"

"So what are your plans now? You're free to stay for as long as you like." Frank said.

Kratos winced slightly as Lloyd began to pull some strands of his hair. "Actually, I would be grateful if you could somehow watch the others in my absence."

"You'll be leaving then?" Phaidra asked.

"Ow, Lloyd…" The little two year old laughed as Lloyd released his grip on the auburn hair while Kratos continued. "Yuan hasn't been responding to my calls, so I'll probably head for Triet to try and obtain some hints for his location. If anything else, I'd rather try to reverse the strange effects and probably a good place to start would be to locate those small comet pieces—"

The clouds outside swirled into black smog as the thunder increased. Within seconds the ground shook and explosions blasted off in the area. Screams and frantic panic can be heard outside as the others try to maintain their balance after the sudden shock. Placing Lloyd down on the ground Kratos stood, grabbed Flameberge, strapped it to his side and started heading for the door.

"What on earth…Kratos what are you doing?" Franks called out.

"This matter can't be left alone. I'm going to see what the situation is outside, please stay in here with Lloyd and the others. I do not wish them to be in harms way."

With that said the young ten year old ignored any other pleas and exited the house; preparing for what awaited outside. The entire town of Iselia is engulfed in flames with dead remains of village soldiers littering the ground. Hearing a thunderous roar in the sky, Kratos quickly stared up and found himself meeting a pair of lethal golden eyes. Long blood-red wings extended outward from the body as it soared in the air. On its head were two horns that extended over the piercing yellow eyes and black scales. Without warning, the wyvern dove inward and Kratos barely managed to shield himself as the dragon flew over and landed on the remains of a building; crushing it under its massive weight. The eyes began to posses an eerie glow as the shadows from the flames dance and took form. For as the young seraph draws out flameberge, he was greeted with five wolves before him; each about the size of Fenrir.

"Tch, aren't we clever," he remarked as he moved his sword into a horizontal position.

Beneath him runes began to form and a magic crest extended out as he draws in mana for a spell. Without warning, the first wolf charged with the four others following close behind. In a moment, Kratos opened his eyes and, feeling the mana build up, released the spell as the distance between them closed. "Take this, Grave!"  
The ground began to tremble as spikes started to form underneath the first wolf. Yet the spikes only reached a centimeter off the ground before sinking back into the earth; small cracks were the only remnants of the spell. An immense pain suddenly coursed through the ten year old, causing the seraph to hold back a cry. The minor distraction however, is enough as the first wolf bites down into Kratos' shoulder and brings him to the ground; flameberge skidding a few feet away. From a distance the others watched and seeing Kratos struggle, Lloyd set a determined face and ran out into the battlefield. Hearing the footsteps, Zelos turned and tried to grab the others' attention; Frank and Phaidra holding the little ones back as they also try to run out. "Lloyd, don't!"

With a spark in its golden eyes, the dragon turned his direction towards the child. As it opened his mouth, swirls of shadows gathered with the black smog in the air. About a few feet away from the seraph, Lloyd tripped and collapsed onto the ground. The dragon roared and without warning, released black flames towards the two year old. Through his blurred sight, Kratos glanced over at the small boy with fearful eyes. The world for a minute blurred and the cries mixed into another vision. Inhuman screams reverberated in his mind as the form of a grotesque monster appeared through the faded image of a storm. A distance away, a young three year old screamed out as the monster raised an arm to lash out. Sinister laughter is heard through the storm and the world is colored in blood; a long sword seen impaling the creature.

In complete fear, little Lloyd brought up his arms and shut his eyes as he screamed out in hysteria. "DADDY!!"

An un-describable pain stabbed his heart as the Seraph struggled against the creature's weight. From the burning flames, the memories of the past and present fused together as Kratos' features pale._ "No, please…..martel not again…' _

**_"LLOYD!" _**

(End chapter one: start chapter two)

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One more thing to point out guys: My experience/time with little kids isn't often and being the youngest in my family doesn't exactly help either so i honestly tried my hardest to get them to act around the proper ages(Though as you can/ will see, they do still have some of their old personality in them Ex. Lloyd being silly him, and Genis: smarter for his age, ect.) Other then that, if it seems like i'm not getting them down properly then please let me know and tell me what age they should be or how they should act. 

Unfortunatly now, I won't be able to update as quickly due to school and work but i will try my hardest for you guys. Enjoy chapter one and I'll have chapter two up as soon as possible!


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Le gasp! We have another chapter now being updated XD! I swear all the schools have to be coming out to get everyone because this month, my teachers are piling out essays, research papers, and all these different kind of projects on us and it's like "what the hell?" So really this is has been the only time I managed to finish this but I do apologize for the long wait. Before we get started though…one quick thing to point out:

Aselia is **NOT ISLEIA IT IS THE NAME OF THE PLANET WHICH THEY LIVE ON. **The problem is people think the name of the planet is "Symphonia" but if you have played **"Tales of Phantasia" **then you will see that the name of the planet is in fact **Aselia. **I know it sounds like "Iselia**" **but it's actually not and as to why they chose a name sounding so similar to "Iselia" is beyond me (but facts are facts so not much can be done otherwise i suppose P )

So with that said and done….onward to chapter two! Ohh…and erm**….I don't own Symphonia.

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Chapter two:

_Previously-_

_In complete fear, little Lloyd brought up his arms and shut his eyes as he screamed out in hysteria. "DADDY!!"  
An un-describable pain stabbed his heart as the Seraph struggled against the creature's weight. From the burning flames, the memories of the past and present fused together as Kratos' features pale. "No, please…..martel not again…'_

"_**LLOYD!"**_

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The black flames came rushing towards the young two year old. As the frightful cries echoed in the air, Kratos struggled and managed to free a hand as he quickly directed it towards the wolf and muttered an incantation. Large fireballs assaulted the creature and caused it to emit a painful howl. Feeling the weight lift off him, Kratos rolled and grabbed Flameberge as he struggled to his feet. He then ran to Lloyd in an attempt to save him while the other four wolves growled and charged towards the angel. Yet as the flames were about to engulf the child, a blade of thunder crashed down and a blast of electricity acted as a shield. Another lightning wave came barreling through, following the previous magic spell. The four wolves before the Seraph cried out from the bolts of lighting and, hearing a yelp behind him, Kratos turned to find the first wolf being stabbed through with a sharp-edged pole weapon.

With its last breath, the wolf dissolved in a black smoke and revealed a blue-haired individual. His shoulder length hair was pulled back into a low pony tail with a black traveling cloak draped over his shoulders. Small black arm guards were strapped over a pair of gloves. Underneath the cloak was a pair of black pants and a white long-sleeve shirt. Wiping some blood off his face, the ten year old glanced up and smirked; an arrogant spark evident in his emerald eyes as he spoke.

"Gee Kratos, you and danger seem to be best friends. Where one goes the other always seems to follow close behind. It's a wonder how anyone in your family managed to live for so long because I swear it's generic in your bloodline."

"Yu—" The words couldn't escape him. A stab of pain caused Kratos to flinch and grab hold of the injury on his right shoulder. Yet despite the pain, shock and relief was evident in his eyes as he stared at the other Seraph before him. Small footsteps and cries alerted the two of the smaller one. As the child ran over, Kratos kneeled down and, placing Flameberge besides him, embraced Lloyd who wrapped small arms around him. With a smile, Kratos leaned down and whispered small words of comfort to the sobbing child while silently thanking Martel. Yuan glanced up and narrowed his eyes slightly. The four wolves lying dead on the ground began to disintegrate in the atmosphere. Through the smoke the remains of the building, where the dragon once was, were faintly visible. Another thunderous roar bellowed behind them, and as Yuan turned he found himself faced with the same dragon as it prepared for another attack. '_Shit, when did it—'_

Turning to the other angel, Yuan barely managed to shout a warning as the flames were released and sent towards them. "Kratos, jump back!"

Grabbing Lloyd and Flameberge, Kratos extended his wings and managed to fly back while Yuan used his angelic abilities. The flames hit seconds after the two dodged, and as they dissipated a gigantic charred crater was left before them. With a low growl, the dragon eyes slowly changed to crimson and a loud voice pierced the air.

_"You can not run angels. It will be ours. It will be in our grasp and this world will know true fear once again. We will give judgment to those who have sealed us and we will start with this planet. It will serve as our new domain and will act as a warning for those who try to oppose us once more."_

The wind began to pick up once the voice died out. As the dragon ascended, a fierce wind blew onto the ground. Taking to the skies, it spiraled upward and was out of view as it left Iselia in flames. Kratos released his hold on Lloyd and stood a bit behind Yuan while he retracted his wings.

"His words…"

Yuan returned the weapon over his shoulder while surveying the devastation left in their wake. "This isn't meaningless slaughter, Kratos. That thing was seeking something out."

"Do you propose that this creature could have been from the comet?" Kratos asked.

Yuan let out a breath. "Probably and I doubt it's the only one. The message he left behind however, may shed some light and give further leads along with the previous information I managed to gather back at the base."

"So you know what's going on?"

"I have a vague idea but we can discuss it later. In the meanwhile we should tend to those injured including yourself. It'll be better to contemplate once everything becomes settled—"

A crash from behind prevented him from finishing his statement. As he heard Lloyd's cries, Yuan spun around to discover Kratos collapsed on the ground; his breathing rasped and his face twisted in pain. Cursing in angelic, Yuan ran over to assist the fallen Seraph; failing to notice the black figure which loomed over Iselia distances away. Closing its light crimson eyes, the creature began to change form. Black wings sprouted from the human-like figure. As it began to gather mana, strands of moonlit hair blew in the forming wind. A small whirlwind picked up before the figure vanished completely; leaving only a trail of black feathers behind.

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_The wax candle rested on the wooden table_. _In candle light, a writer moved his ink pen across a worn piece of __paper; forming words with each stroke. The clock chimed and turning to see the time, the writer sighed and placed down the pen. He moved a hand behind the flame and blew it out as he left the dark room to retire for the night. Yet as the door closed, the winter breeze came in and began to blow the pages open. After all, an author doesn't need to be present for a story to continue; a story writes itself._

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The following day came quickly after the previous events. As the people outside began to start the reconstruction of their small town, Kratos rested in the upper room of the chosen's house with the eight children. Through the upper window, light managed to shine through and rest on the form of the injured Seraph; a damp cloth resting on his forehead. From a few feet away, Lloyd stared at the figure of his father; guilt evident on his features.

"Daddy…"

Sheena and Colette walked over to the saddened boy. When approaching closer, the summoner placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave a small smile.

"It kay Lloydie…you no have to be sad…" Sheena said.

Colette nodded in agreement. "No sad, Lloydie! Kratos fine…"

Lloyd shook his head and tried to wipe the tears away onto the back of his sleeve. "No hes not! Lloyd stupid! Was told to stay but nos listen. Tries to help and…and…." The words never escaped him. As he held back a choked sob, Lloyd buried himself into a protective ball in an attempt to shield himself away from the others. With sympathy, Colette kneeled down and pulled Lloyd into a hug.

"Its okays." Colette quietly whispered to the sobbing child.

Sheena ruffled his messy brown hair and sat down before them both Indian style. "What Collie said! Wheres I live, when ninja get hurt it good thing! Show how they tough and strong in battle! And shows they have lots and lots of skill!"

Lloyd glanced up and sniffed. "Reallies?"

Sheena jumped back up and placed both hands on her hips in a proud pose. "YEP, YEP!"

Regal and the others came over as Lloyd calmed down; Regal and Raine holding Genis and Presea with Zelos standing a small distance away.

"…Kratos will live…" Regal stated in a calm tone.

Zelos stared at the ground as he spoke; his voice quiet compared to the others. "…When parents care, they no want to leave the person they care about alone…..Kratos cares, so he won't die…"

"Well put, Zelie!" Sheena stated; the small summoner bounding over as she gave the chosen a pat on the back.

A sudden wave of guilt coursed through the three and half year-old. As a silent scream reverberated in his mind, Zelos flinched and unconsciously backed away. In confusion, Sheena removed the hand and tilted her head.

"Zelie?"

Zelos stared at the ground. "Sorries…"

A moan toward the direction of the bed caught everyone's attention. Seeing Kratos shift, the others ran over with Lloyd in lead as the brunette scrambled onto the bed; the others gathering around.

"Daddy?"

Slowly the world came into focus for Kratos. As his senses returned, the Seraph opened his eyes and blinked in order to adjust to the bright light. Seeing the little two year-old before him on his chest, Kratos shifted and leaned against an arm as he partially sat up.

"…Lloyd…"

"Daddy!" With re-newed tears, the child wrapped his arms around Kratos as the older returned his hug with a one-arm embrace. From around them, the other kids cheered and Sheena climbed onto the end part of the bed.

"See Lloydie I tells you! Kratos strong just like Ninja peoples!"

"….." Zelos sighed and turned away from the others. The pain he pushed down began to re-surface into the child's mind. Images of the snow, blood, and those six hated words, reverberated fresh in his memory as he sat a distance away and held his head in his small hands; an attempt to block out the haunting images. Yet unknown to the three year old, one child watched him with sad eyes. Before Sheena could voice a question, however, the doorway opened and Yuan walked inside; a tray of cookies and milk in his hands with a separate glass of water.

"Looks like someone finally decided to get up. And here I thought you were just being lazy." The half-elf stated with a smirk.

Upon seeing the mass of treats, the kids ran over and crowded Yuan in an effort to grab the snacks. Shouts like "Settle down you brats!" and "Go away dammit" caused Kratos to stifle a chuckle as Sheena and Lloyd both scrambled down to join the others. However, upon seeing Zelos, Lloyd stopped and stood before the three and half year-old.

"Zelie? Are you comings?" Lloyd asked; tilting his head slightly.

Zelos stared up at the extended hand in confusion as the younger smiled brightly.

"Wes go together, kay?" Lloyd asked.

He looked at the hand and frowned; an inner turmoil waging on in his mind. Yet seeing the small brunette waiting, the red-head gave a weak smile and took the hand; a warm feeling spreading inside him.

"…kay…Lloyd…"

After placing the tray down, Yuan walked over and handed the Seraph a glass of water while he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I told Phaidra to just give you the glass of water despite her insisting for soup." Yuan said.

Kratos finished the glass and set in on the side table. "It's fine I would have preferred the water anyway. How long was I out for?"

"Just for the night, it's morning now. You had Frank and the br—kids in a panic when I brought you inside."

"Lloyd is unharmed though?" Kratos asked.

Yuan scoffed. "The kid has no injuries, Kratos, as you saw for yourself; so relax." He thought for a brief moment before continuing. "Frank and Phaidra also send you their apologies for allowing Lloyd to escape."

Kratos shook his head. "Lloyd's been known to never stay put when told to. Even when traveling with Anna and myself he would give us the same problems so it would be my own fault for failing to consider that."

"Must run in the family then." Yuan muttered. On instinct, Yuan ducked under a smack and let out a dry laugh as Kratos growled. "You know it's true, Kratos. You never followed what Mithos and I told you, so Lloyd obviously got it from his father. They do say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all."

"And I am assuming you didn't just come up here to jab immature taunting?"

Yuan nodded and gave Kratos a serious expression. "I came here to discuss what has been occurring from the time we lost contact till now. I discovered some interesting information about the phenomenon and I'm sure by now you noticed that are some significant changes that go beyond the aging part."

Memories of the previous battle flashed into Kratos' mind as he spoke. "So, the same thing has happened to you as well?"

"No I suddenly managed to advance with the Cruxis crystal and transform just like Mithos. What do you think, Kratos?" Yuan stated; his voice laced in sarcasm.

"What I think is that someone has been under massive amounts of stress in these past few days. You haven't used sarcasm like that since the last Cruxis meeting we held, a while back, where Pronyma's exaggerated compliments were granting on everyone's patience."

Yuan gave a dry laugh in reply to the comment. "Yea well you'll probably find yourself experiencing similar feelings as myself, my friend. Because unless you wish to be permanently trapped in these adolescent forms, we need to find means to reverse the situation in about three month's time. And if we don't hurry, then we may even have lesser time as we won't even have Aselia to live on. Cause both the planet and ourselves will be receiving exactly what we have been waiting now for 4,000 years if nothing is done: early deaths."

(End chapter two: start chapter three)

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A/N: To answer question two now: Yes, Yuan is a ten year old like Kratos and YES he does play a major part in the story. There is a reason why Yuan is not using his double-bladed sword and a lot of information (or a chunk of it) will be explained in chapter three. Again, I will try to update but it will all depend on school and work. So Thanks for all the reviews so far and I will see you next chapter! 


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